Columnists resign from the Jewish Chronicle over allegations Gaza articles were fabricated

LONDON (AP) — Prominent columnists have resigned from the Jewish Chronicle newspaper over allegations that it published fabricated articles about the Israel-Hamas war.

The resignations on Sunday came after the London-based newspaper removed multiple articles by a freelance journalist and apologized to readers, saying it conducted an investigation into the writer and was “not satisfied with some of his claims.”

The newspaper didn’t specify which articles by the journalist, Elon Perry, were problematic. Among other claims, Perry — who described himself as a commando in the Israel Defense Forces — alleged that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar planned to smuggle himself and Israeli hostages out of Gaza through the border area with Egypt known as the Philadelphi corridor.

Israeli media initially circulated the article, but later came to question its sourcing. The report has drawn speculation that it may have been part of a disinformation campaign in support of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu because the claims largely mirrored those made by the leader about the Philadelphi corridor earlier this month.

Long-time Jewish Chronicle columnist Jonathan Freedland resigned in protest on Sunday, saying “the latest scandal brings great disgrace on the paper” and that it has “departed from the traditions that built its reputation as the world’s oldest Jewish newspaper.”

“Too often, the JC (Jewish Chronicle) reads like a partisan, ideological instrument, its judgements political rather than journalistic,” Freedland posted on X.

Fellow columnists Hadley Freeman and David Aaronovitch also announced they were quitting, while a spokesperson for author and comedian David Baddiel said he had “no plans to write any more columns for the paper.”

Freeman said in a post that she resigned because “recent events have made it impossible for me to stay.”

The newspaper’s editor, Jake Wallis Simons, said it was “every newspaper editor’s worst nightmare to be deceived by a journalist” and that the newspaper has cut all ties with Perry.

“His work has now been removed from our website. Readers can be assured that stronger internal procedures are being implemented,” he wrote on X.

Perry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. The Observer and other British outlets cited him over the weekend as saying that the Jewish Chronicle “made a huge mistake with its statement” and calling the criticism a “witch-hunt.”